The America Story Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The America Story - Term Paper Example There are also other stories like the slave trade and it abolishment, the confrontation that existed between the Southern and the Northern States as well as the civil war of 1861-62. Moving into the nineteenth century, there are a plethora of stories about America, Their involvement in the First and Second World War and later Cold War with Russia, the civil movement in the US over discrimination led by Martin Luther and on the other front by Malcolm X (Foner and John 46). The spread of capitalism ideology to counteract the Communism spread by the Russian, there rise to World super power and the ensuing rivalry with USSR. These are just some of the stories that make part of the American story, throughout the movie reviews in our learning modules; I have considered some of the reviews to be American history by virtue of their contents. One of the movies that were reviewed had its central theme being the slavery in America, in deed, slavery is one of the stories America is widely known for, it explains the presence of the Blacks in most of the southern States of the US. During the Agrarian and industrial revolution, there were high demands for raw materials and labor to meet the escalated demands at the time. The US then engaged in slavery to obtain extra human resource that would be working in the farms and the industries, this activity continued in the US until mid of the nineteenth century when others considered it unproductive. The different views that were held in regard slavery necessitated the civil war in the US that was fought in 1862 between the Southern and the Northern States. Historically, Northerners were industrialist while the Southerners were agriculturalist; this classification made the Southerners to engage in slavery that the northerners, slaves were used in the farms as well as to run other errands that were related to agriculture, land was owned by few people while the rest were landless and had no right to own land. This meant that there was a few demand for the industrial goods that were made then, this did not augur well with the Northerners who wanted the feudal land policy to be done away with and slavery stopped in the hope that market for their products will be enhanced (Foner and John 56). From the movie review, it can be seen that Thaddeus Stevens were against the new rule that stopped slavery since it was going to hinder his progress economically, they wanted to prolong slavery, but Johnson’s plan to stop slavery could not be avoided. This move was vehemently resisted by pro slavery and sparked a fight between the Northern states and the Southern States popularly known as the civil war. Even Lincoln himself before being elected vowed not to stop slavery in the US but later while serving as the president, he saw the need to facilitate its abolishment. Like in the movie Kate Stone and her mother were almost rendered bankrupt after the war that fought slavery, they had about one fifty slave but were eventu ally left with none. It was a protracted struggle to abolish slavery and even after the abolishment, blacks were still being discriminated against and this led to the rise of civil movement in the US. Slavery and its consequences are part of the rich American story that cannot be avoided; in fact, the history of the US is not complete without talking about the slavery and the later civil movement that was witnessed in the nineteenth century. Following slavery in the US, it is interesting to note that other states did not approve it and was thus outlawed. In some cases when one moved from one state that approves slavery to the other that do not, they were forced to free the slaves. In the constitution of the US, slavery was not

Re-write lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Re-write - Lab Report Example Sand was already there in the can. A thermocouple sheath made of stainless steel was also introduced into it exactly quarter of an inch above the crucible’s base. The isolation was created with a glass fiber that decelerated the cooling process. The experiment used this time to note the data. He noticed the alteration of temperature with respect to time. Until the temperature of Tin reached 150C, temperature was noted several times at an interval of 5 seconds. 150C is essentially 10C above the freezing point of Tin. This was done so as to ensure that the thermocouple sheath does not get frozen. Once the data was completely collected, the Tin cooling curve was developed using the information of temperature versus time. Abstract This experiment was intended to find out Tin’s melting point for which, a ceramic crucible that contained Tin was heated in a furnace enough to get the temperature above Tin’s estimated melting point. The molten Tin was shifted to the coffe e can filled with sand. A thermocouple sheath was placed into the molten Tin and was isolated with a glass fiber. The cooling process was slowed down due to that and the experimenter noted the data meanwhile. Finally, with the help of data of temperature alteration with time, the Tin cooling curve was formulated.

Music And Its Effect On The Psychology Of Teenagers Media Essay

Music And Its Effect On The Psychology Of Teenagers Media Essay There has been a massive amount of research, trying to identify the psychological and behavioral effects of music on a teenager. Society stigmatizes different genres with common belief and misconceptions, such as listening to classical music makes someone smarter and heavy metal and hardcore rap causes uncontrollable rage and hostility. Stereotypes, misconceptions, and the tendency to interpret observations and research too broadly have tainted the true essence of musical psychology, which is the analysis of how different musical aspects react with the behavioral and emotional aspects of teenagers. Deeha (2008) [online] According to brainyquote.com (n.d) [online], Music is defined as The science and the art of tones i.e., sounds of higher or lower pitch, begotten of uniform and synchronous vibrations, as of a string at various degrees of tension; the science of harmonical tones which treats of the principles of harmony, or the properties, dependences and relations of tones to each other; the art of combining tones in a manner to please the ear. Music is also defined as vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Oxforddictionaries.com (n.d) [online] Music is universal and yet it is also relative and subjective. What may be music to one may not be so to another. Estrella (n.d) [online] Definitions.net defines music as an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and dynamics. Definitions.net (n.d) [online] Merriam-Webster.com (n.d) [online] defines psychology as the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group or the study of mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity. Dictionary.com (n.d) [online] defines psychology as  the  mental make-up  or  structure  of  an  individual  that causes  him  or  her  to  think  or  act  in  the  way  he or  she  does. There are many theories regarding when and where music originated. Many agree that music began even before man existed. Historiographers point out that there are six periods of music and each period has a particular style of music that greatly contributed to what music is today. Estrella (n.d) [online] Medieval/Middle Ages Music during the Middle Ages is characterized by the beginning of musical notation as well as polyphony. During this time, there were two general types of music styles; the monophonic and the polyphonic.Estrella (n.d) [online]. Monophonic means one note  at a time  while polyphonic means two or more  different  notes  at the same time. wiki.answers.com (n.d) [online] Renaissance Renaissance means rebirth and in music this period brought about many changes in the way music was created and perceived. Estrella (n.d) [online] Classical The music of the Classical period, which spans from 1750 to 1820, is characterized by simpler melodies and forms such as the sonatas. The piano was undoubtedly the primary instrument used by composers during the Classical period. Estrella (n.d) [online] Romantic Historiographers define the Romantic Music period to be between 1800 to 1900. It is characterized by using music to tell a story or express an idea, and the use of various instruments including wind instruments. Melodies are fuller and more dramatic. Estrella (n.d) [online] 20th Century Music during the 20th century brought about many innovations on how music was performed and appreciated. Artists were more willing to experiment on new music forms and used technology to enhance their compositions. Estrella (n.d) [online] TYPES Music is of different types. We have; Classical Music Rock Blues Jazz RB Hip-Hop Reggae Country New Age. Bhattacharyya (2012) [online] Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, with roots in mainly Blues, Country, RB, Folk and Gospel music, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Classic rock and roll is played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the earliest rock and roll styles, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by the guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it a unique social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Jazz is an American musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. The styles West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online]   From its early development until the present, jazz has also incorporated music from 19th and 20th century American popular music. The word jazz began as a West Coast slang term of uncertain derivation and was first used to refer to music in Chicago in about 1915. Jazz has, from its early 20th century inception, spawned a variety of subgenres, from New Orleans Dixieland dating from the early 1910s, big band-style swing from the 1930s and 1940s, bebop from the mid-1940s, a variety of Latin jazz fusions such as Afro-Cuban and Brazilian jazz from the 1950s and 1960s, jazz-rock fusion from the 1970s and late 1980s developments such as acid jazz, which blended jazz influences into funk and hip-hop. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Hip-hop  music, also referred to as  rap music, is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of culture, which began in the Bronx, New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latinos. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop music. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Rapping is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat. Beats are traditionally generated from portions of other songs by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer, though synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands are also used, especially in newer music. Rappers may perform what they have written down ahead of time, or improvise on the spot with or without a beat which has become known as free-styling. Though rap is usually an integral component of hip hop music, DJs sometimes perform and record alone and many instrumental acts are also defined as hip hop. In the 1990s, a form called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing controversy over lyrics which were perceived by some as promoting violence, promiscuity and drug use. Nevertheless, hip hop continued to increase in popularity, and by the year 2000, it was a staple of popular music charts. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by regular beats on the off-beat, known as the skank. Reggae is normally slower than ska, and usually has accents on the first and third beat in each bar. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including religion, love, sexuality, peace, relationships, poverty, injustice and other social and political issues. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s. The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while country and Western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used in the United States. In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term country and Western. Acesandeights.com (n.d) [online] All these types of music have different effects on different teenagers; both positive and negative. The average person spends several hours a day listening to music, whether they see it as a main activity or just as something to take up space in the background. It is not surprising, then, that music has a great effect on how humans think and act, possibly even affecting intelligence. Several studies have been conducted on this theory; though some results are questionable, the consensus view seems to be that music has the capacity for both positive and negative effects. Andrew (n.d) [online] In America; Researchers found that people could make accurate judgments about an individuals levels of extraversion, creativity and open-mindedness after listening to ten of their favorite songs. Extraverts tend to seek out songs with heavy bass lines, while those who enjoy more complex styles such as jazz and classical music tend to be more creative and have higher IQ-scores. Another study conducted by researchers at Herriot-Watt University looked at more than 36,000 participants from all over the world. Participants were asked to rate more than 104 different musical styles in addition to offering information about aspects of their personality. Cherry (n.d) [online] Also, music can have a positive therapeutic effect. Musical therapy uses music and all aspects of music to improve and maintain physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health of an individual and is defined by the Music Therapy Association as an evidence based music intervention to accomplish individual goals within a therapeutic setting. People of all ages can reap the benefits of musical therapy, especially those who suffer mental health disorders, developmental disorders, Alzheimers disease, substance abuse, brain injuries, physical disabilities, or chronic pain. Pediatrics.aapublication.org [online] The lyrics of music also affect the psychology of teenagers. Music lyrics have undergone dramatic changes since the introduction of rock music more than 40 years ago. This is an issue of vital interest and concern. Pediatrics.aapublication.org [online] Rock music lyrics have become more explicit-particularly with reference to sex, drugs, and violence. Recently, heavy metal and gangsta rap music lyrics have had the greatest concern. In some cases, the lyrics communicate potentially harmful messages such as drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, injuries, homicide, and suicide have all become part of everyday life for many American teens. Pediatrics.aapublication.org [online] In the U.K; Heavy-metal music has been a source of controversy since its origin in the 1980s. Heavy metal typically contains aggressive music, accompanied by violent lyrics, leaving many to claim that it can have certain negative effects on the teenagers that listen to it. There have been several studies done to test the effects that heavy metal actually has on teenagers. Godard (n.d) [online] One of the most vocalized claims about heavy-metal music is that it makes its listeners, especially its young listeners, more violent. A study done by Loyola University has found that this is, in fact, not true and there is no direct relationship between heavy-metal music and violence in teenagers. In fact, it was found that participants that listened to heavy-metal music were less violent than those in the control group. The reason is unclear, but one guess is that since the listener is exposed to violent music, they become adverse to it and decrease their desire to be violent. Godard (n.d) [online] Also, the Calgary Herald has reported that teenagers with higher levels of intelligence are naturally drawn to heavy-metal music, specifically because it relieves the pressure of a stressful life. There is also a large sense of community and solidarity among fans of heavy-metal music, something that intelligent people prefer. Listening to heavy metal is seen by most teens as a way of releasing their internal anger and can actually help relax teens, leading to more hard work and increased academic performance. Godard (n.d) [online] Furthermore, it has been found that there is a link between the amount of heavy-metal music a teenager listens to and the so-called macho personality. Teenagers that listen to heavy metal a lot are more likely to fall into a personality type that craves constant sensation and thrills from life. These will be generally extroverted individuals sexually, though they may not be socially. Godard (n.d) [online] Lastly, all kinds of music have an effect on mood. Heavy-metal music was tested to see if it evoked positive or negative emotions in its listeners. A study by Shaleen L. Coss of the psychology department at Loyola University found that participants who listened to heavy-metal music with violent lyrics and music were less likely to feel depression afterward than those who listened to non-violent songs. They also found that heavy-metal music listeners had higher self-esteem than other participants because of the rush one feels from violent music. Godard (n.d) [online] In Nigeria; Akpogena (n.d) [online] says Music captures the heart. It is a powerful spiritual force. It can be a tool of great good or a weapon of great destruction. Too much of our popular music is not even singable. Not only is it often without recognizable tune, pitch, cadence or tenor and even without melody, harmony or regular rhythm but it is also so profane that it is unrepeatable. Many rap and rock songs have gone far beyond the mere bounds of pornography to vile brutality, scatological filth, sadistic nihilism, blasphemous irreverence and provocative decadence. Previously, pop music was almost always sentimental, sappy and insubstantial. Now, it is nightmarishly barbaric. With the advent of grunge rock, hip-hop, goth rock, gangsta rap, death metal and speed metal, a new wave of wildly angry music with minimal melody lines or hooks, harsh and distorted electronics, incessant syncopations, and vile lyrics has swept onto center stage. Steeped in a hopeless worldview of suicide, occultis m, sexual abuse, self-mutilation, brutal sadism and random revenge, the music is depressing, dark and deleterious. ANALYSIS The works above shows that music that music has both positive and negative effects and the type of music that a teenager prefers can create a significant effect on how the teenager behaves. It also shows that classical music, specifically Mozart, can cause an increase in the academic performance of a teenager. Furthermore it also shows that the lyrics in the songs teenagers listen to affects the way a teenager behaves and thinks. As the lyrics become more explicit, so does the teenager. CONCLUSION Music has both positive and negative effects and it differs from one teenager to another.

Nuclear Disarmament Essay -- Essays Papers

Nuclear Disarmament Since the early 1940’s, two world powers, the U.S. and USSR (currently Russia), have been increasing their nuclear weapons arsenal. In recent years, many other countries, such as: India, Great Britain, France, China, Pakistan, and Israel have begun nuclear stockpiles. Since the Cold War has ended and the USSR collapsed, nuclear weapons have been left unguarded or missing. The effect of this lack of security has raised the world’s awareness on attempting to control nuclear stockpiles. Also, there are concerns of nuclear power plants producing uranium and plutonium as a by-product; the two fuels are used in producing nuclear devices. Although these nuclear power plants were never meant to produce uranium and plutonium, countries have left it available to civilians for research and testing.1 Nuclear bombs can be a result of this experimenting, which is why some form of disarmament and a system of verification on nuclear control needs to be implemented by government officia ls. Nuclear weapons are explosive devices designed to release nuclear energy on a large scale and are used primarily in military applications. The first atomic bomb, which was tested on July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico, represented a completely new type of artificial explosives. Nuclear explosions involve energy sources within the core or nucleus, of the atom. The atomic bomb gains its power from the splitting, or fission, of all the atomic nuclei in several kilograms of plutonium. A sphere about the size of a baseball produces an explosion equal to 20,000 tons of TNT. This is a large amount of power for a nuclear weapon. The atomic bomb was developed, constructed, and tested during the Manhattan Project. This massive United States... ...be implemented in order to control the use of nuclear weapons within today’s society because the current systems have not been successful in securing nuclear devices. Until more successful regulations have been made, the problem of controlling nuclear power will not be solved. ENDNOTES 1 â€Å" The Problem.† NCI. http://www.nci.org/nci-pro.htm (1 July 1996). 2 Handbook of Nuclear Technology (New York: Nucleonics, 1980) pg. 115. 3 Handbook of Nuclear Technology, pg. 110 4 Handbook of Nuclear Technology, pg. 112-114. 5 NCI 6 NCI 7 NCI 8 â€Å"Verification.† The Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. http://www.dfat.gov.au/cc/cc_report_annexa.html (Jan. 1994). 9 The Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 10 NCI 11 The Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

Apple Financial Report Essay

Background Object: Apple Inc, an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. I would like to emphasize that this report supports in order to have a general look of long-term investment. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or SWOT matrix) of Apple Inc will be mentioned below. Specifically, I will talk about issues which are relevant for investors in the long time. However they are concerned and depended on numbers with ratios in only financial report. Strengths Total assets are about $53,851 billion (Apple Inc balance sheet in Sep-2009). When we compare with some other companies, Apple Inc is really one of the leaders among technology companies. Company Microsoft Apple Inc Nokia Dell HP Assets (billion $) 86,112 53,851 51,276 30,060 4,265 Moreover, Apple’s products such as IPhone, IPod or IMac with good quality are appeared every countries and they have a large attraction with customers. For example, according to Brandonweir (from Apple’s Quarterly Earnings  Reports), 2010, 33 million IPhone have sold until the end 2009(1), â€Å"At the September 9, 2009 keynote presentation at the Apple Event, Phil Schiller announced total cumulative sales of iPods exceeded 220 million†(2) according to Downhill Battle in 2010. It figures strong abilities and important position of Apple Inc in the world. Established on April 1, 1976, with over 30 years surviving, Apple Inc have experienced an increase in their growth, profit and stocks while some large ones else such as IBM could not survive by the time. Since beginning, Apple Inc has not only survived for 30 years but also acquired many small and medium in various aspects. It proves strong ambitions to expand company more and more. In addition, from YCHARTS in 2010, R&D (Research and Development) of company is 6.58% of total assets(6), it makes company independent on potential threats. Here is 7 biggest companies of 28 which are acquired by Apple Inc(3) with total investment over 1,335 million dollars, according to Alacrastore in 2010. It is argued that the company has strategy plans for sustainable development in the long time. Time Company Value 7/2/1997 NeXT – Computer programming services $ 404,000,000 2/9/1997 Power Computing-Clone-Making–Clone computers $ 100,000,000 31/12/2001 PowerSchool – Online info systems services $ 62,000,000 1/7/ 2002 Emagic – Music production software $ 30,000,000 24/4/2008 P.A. Semi – Semiconductors $ 278,000,000 5/1/2010 Quattro Wireless – Mobile advertising $ 275,000,000 27/4/2010 Intrinsity – Semiconductors $ 121,000,000 There are nearly 899,805,500 and 888,325,973 shares issued and out standing until September 2009 (From financial report, p. 56). It is clear that a large of number shareholders do believe in company success and their capital are invested correctly. While their profit from stocks and shares are increasing, it is stated that investing Apple stocks will earn profit more and more. And the company has more capital from investors to use it for developing projects. Moreover, in fact, one positive point of Apple Inc is they do not pay out any dividends. Therefore company could re-invest the money into active capital structures. It shows a sustainable development with clear projects for long-term investment of shareholders. Weaknesses Apple Inc has 323 stores however 82% of them (265 by 323) only in US and UK(4), according to Wikipedia, 2010. It is stated that Apple Inc should expand company to get more profit of potential customer from other areas in the world. Moreover, it is a chance to create new contracts with various producers. Because with well-known trade name and quality products, it is argued that if company only wants to increase profits in some big countries, it is a big waste. Opportunities Generally, potential investors need a general view about company STOCKS and SHARES since some years ago because it would help them to be sure that basically, their money is invested in right way or not. From 2004 to 2009, company’s stocks are increasing rapidly every year although it is affected by recession in 2008 therefore their profitability is their high earnings per share. Specifically, company’s stocks rose quickly from 100$ in 2004 to 957$ in 2009. From Apple Inc financial report in 2009, p.35 Meanwhile, from table below seems to suggest that a significant rate of development of Apple Inc when we compare some other index. In 5 years, this stocks in 2009 gets nearly by ten times (957$ and 100$) in 2004 (beginning). Moreover, it shows that stocks and share of Apple Inc is higher than competitive companies about development therefore investing Apple Inc at this time for a long-term is a correct decision. September 2004 September 2005 September 2006 September 2007 September 2008 September 2009 Apple Inc. $100 $277 $397 $792 $587 $957 S&P 500 Composite Index $100 $112 $124 $145 $113 $105 S&P Computer Hardware Index $100 $115 $123 $181 $152 $180 GROSS MARGIN PERCENTAGE of Apple Inc also rose from 2007 to 2009 with about 35% each year. Profit margin measures the performance of the company in generating profits from sales therefore from this ratio, Apple Inc figures a rapid development with positive effect. This is a percentage showing the relationship between a business’s profits before overheads are taken away (gross profit), and the total amount of income from sales. It is claimed that investors could believe in the company financial situation nowadays completely. 2009 2008 2007 Net sales $36,537 $32,479 $24,006 Cost of sales 23,397 21,334 15,852 Gross margin $13,140 $11,145 $ 8,154 Gross margin percentage 36.0% 34.3% 34.0% GEARING, which is defined DEBT divide EQUITY, is important because the level of risk increases as the proportion of debt increases and equity shareholders are paid after the demands of loan capital providers have been met. According to financial report, Company’s long-term debt is zero while equity is $ 1743 therefore gearing = 0 is enough low to invest with fairly safety. Apple Inc has a very good financial standing and is not in any immediate danger of bankruptcy. When we have a brief look, gearing and debt of others competitive companies like HP, Dell or Microsoft are higher so much than Apple Inc. Therefore shareholders could believe the safety of their capital in the long time. On the other hand, ASSET TURNOVER, which is defined TOTAL SALES divide ASSETS (36537 / 53851 = 67.85%) is used to measure the performance of the company in generating sales from the assets at its disposal. Asset turnover is one of two important ratios for shareholders to return on capital employed therefore it helps investors identify the safety of their capital. With 67.85%, it shows a positive number of efficiency for long-term investment. CURRENT RATIO which is defined CURRENT ASSETS divide CURRENT LIABILITIES relates the current assets of the company to its current liabilities. It is a measure of a company’s ability to meet its short-term solvency. These assets should at least be sufficient to meet the any short-term liabilities – generally that is taken to mean a ratio of 2:1 or better because many State Securities Bureaus will require this ratio for stocks and make investors believe financial situation of company. When we compare among some large technology companies, apple is the best of them (table above). This ratio shows that Apple Inc would be considered to have good short-term financial strength. If we have a look QUICK RATIO, which is defined: (CURRENT ASSETS minus INVENTORY) divide CURRENT LIABILITIES, excludes inventory from the current assets figure because it may be difficult to convert inventory to cash quickly. This ratio assumes that inventory is not available as part of the asset base a vailable to meet the demands of immediate liabilities. 1:1 ratio or higher is considered good because it proves financial strengths of company to meet any sudden accident. Apple Inc  is better able to meet their current liability obligations by using their liquid assets when the company is compared to the industry. With 1.86, Apple Inc defeated main competitive companies to pay its short-term debt and made customer confidence for company success. Threats Apple is still a successful modern company nowadays however actually, according to Ben McClure (Investopedia), 2010 when Apple Inc spends too much money with 1.109 billion dollars (2008) on R&D (Research and Development)(5) while some other aspects such as architecture of agents around the world need more capital to invest although it is a positive point which made a good position of Apple Inc nowadays. Another view that we need to consider carefully is recession. Actually, from the stocks chart above, Apple Inc was affected by this in 2008 (decreased from $792 in 2007 to $587 in 2008). Therefore when recession has not gone out completely, shareholders should examine their investment for sustainable future. Conclusions From SWOT matrix above, with rapid grow speed of stocks & company and also developing strategies in the long-term, I want to recommend that Apple Inc is a good choice to invest in the long time. Although the company has some threats and weaknesses, Apple Inc has every confidence from investors who have invested in the long time before. When we analysed SWOT above, financial ratios and numbers show a quick increase with stable development therefore it is claimed that investing Apple Inc for a long-term is a right decision. Notes Anyway, this report only analyses some salient features and predictions above can be not sure 100% in the future. Because company’s success is affected by many different aspects such as demand of customers in the long time however some of them are not mentioned in this report. Although the ratios and the financial numbers of Apple Inc are fairly good, nothing is impossible in the  long-term. References (1) Brandonweir, 2010, how many iphone have been sold, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.mahalo.com/answers/how-many-iphones-have-been-sold. (2) Downhill Battle, 2010, Are all those iPods empty?, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.itunesperipod.com/. (3) Alacrastore, 2010, Apple Inc Mergers and Acquisitions, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.alacrastore.com/mergers-acquisitions/Apple_Inc-1001101. (4) Wikipedia, 2010, Apple store, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Store. (5) Ben McClure (Investopedia), 2010, R&D Spending And Profitability: What’s The Link?, [accessed 29 November 2010], available at http://www.investopedia.com/articles/fundamental-analysis/10/research-development-rorc.asp (6) YCHARTS, 2010, AAPL, [accessed 3 December 2010], available at http://ycharts.com/companies/AAPL

Scientific Method Essay

The scientific method has four steps 1. Observation and description of a phenomenon. The observations are made visually or with the aid of scientific equipment. 2. Formulation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomenon in the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation. 3. Test the hypothesis by analyzing the results of observations or by predicting and observing the existence of new phenomena that follow from the hypothesis. If experiments do not confirm the hypothesis, the hypothesis must be rejected or modified (Go back to Step 2). 4. Establish a theory based on repeated verification of the results. The subject of a scientific experiment has to be observable and reproducible. Observations may be made with the unaided eye, a microscope, a telescope, a voltmeter, or any other apparatus suitable for detecting the desired phenomenon. The invention of the telescope in 1608 made it possible for Galileo to discover the moons of Jupiter two years later. Other scientists confirmed Galileo’s observations and the course of astronomy was changed. However, some observations that were not able to withstand tests of objectivity were the canals of Mars reported by astronomer Percival Lowell. Lowell claimed to be able to see a network of canals in Mars that he attributed to intelligent life in that planet. Bigger telescopes and satellite missions to Mars failed to confirm the existence of canals. This was a case where the observations could not be independently verified or reproduced, and the hypothesis about intelligent life was unjustified by the observations. To Lowell’s credit, he predicted the existence of the planet Pluto in 1905 based on perturbations in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. This was a good example of deductive logic. The application of the theory of gravitation to the known planets predicted that they should be in a different position from where they were. If the law of gravitation was not wrong, then something else had to account for the variation. Pluto was discovered 25 years later. Limitations of the Scientific Method Science has some well-known limitations. Science works by studying problems in isolation. This is very effective at getting good, approximate solutions. Problems outside these artificial boundaries are generally not addressed. The consistent, formal systems of symbols and mathematics used in science cannot prove all statements, and furthermore, they cannot prove all TRUE statements. Kurt Godel showed this in 1931. The limitations of formal logical systems make it necessary for scientists to discard their old systems of thought and introduce new ones occasionally. Newton’s gravitational model works fairly well for everyday physical descriptions, but it is not able to account for many important observations. For this reason, it has been replaced by Einstein’s general theory of relativity for most celestial phenomena. Instead of talking about gravity, we now are supposed to talk about the curvature of the four-dimensional time-space continuum. Scientific observations are also subject to physical limits that may prevent us from finding the ultimate truth. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that it is impossible to determine simultaneously the position and momentum of an elementary particle. So, if we know the location of a particle we cannot determine its velocity, and if we know its velocity we cannot determine its location. Jacob Bronowski wrote that nature is not a gigantic formalizable system because to formalize it we would have to make some assumptions that cut some of its parts from consideration, and having done that, we cannot have a system that embraces the whole of nature. The application of the scientific method is limited to independently observable, measurable events that can be reproduced. The scientific method is also applicable to random events that have statistical distributions. In atomic chemistry, for example, it is impossible to predict when one specific atom will decay and emit radiation, but it is possible to devise theories and formulas to predict when half of the atoms of a large sample will decay. Irreproducible results cannot be studied by the scientific method. There was one day when many car owners reported that the alarm systems of their cars were set off at about the same time without any apparent cause. Automotive engineers were not able to discover the reason because the problem could not be reproduced. They hypothesized that it could have been radio interference from a passing airplane, but they could not prove it one way or another. Mental conceptual experiences cannot be studied by the scientific method either. At this time there is no instrumentation that enables someone to monitor what anybody else conceives in their mind, although it is possible to determine which part of the brain is active during any given task. It is not possible to define experiments to determine objectively which works of art are â€Å"great†, or whether Picasso was better than Matisse. So-called miracles are also beyond the scientific method. A person has tumors and faces certain death, and then, the tumors start shrinking and the person becomes healthy. What brought about the remission? A change in diet? A change in mental attitude? It is impossible to go back in time to monitor all variables that could have caused the cure, and it would be unethical to plant new tumors into the person to try to reproduce the results for a more careful study. Critical Thinking The scientific method relies on critical thinking, which is the process of questioning common beliefs and explanations to distinguish those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which lack adequate evidence or rational foundation. Arguments consists of one or more premises and one conclusion. A premise is a statement that is offered in support of a claim being made. Premises and claims can be either true or false. In deductive arguments the premises provide complete support for the conclusion. If the premises provide the required degree of support for the conclusion then the argument is valid, and if all its premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. In inductive arguments the premises provide some degree of support for the conclusion. When the premises of inductive arguments are true, their conclusion is likely to be true. Arguments that have one or more false premises are unsound. Fallacies Arguments are subject to a variety of fallacies. A fallacy is an error in reasoning in which the premises given for the conclusion do not provide the needed degree of support. A deductive fallacy is a deductive argument where the premises are all true but reach a false conclusion. An inductive fallacy consist of arguments where the premises do not provide enough support for the conclusion. In such cases, even if the premises are true, the conclusion is not likely to be true. Common fallacies are categorized by their type, such as Ad Hominem (personal attack), and appeals to authority, belief, fear, ridicule, tradition, etc. An example of an Ad Hominem fallacy would be to say â€Å"You do not understand this because you are American (or Chinese, etc. â€Å". The national origin of a person (the premise) has nothing to do with the conclusion that a person can understand something or not, therefore the argument is flawed. Appeals to ridicule are of the form: â€Å"You would be stupid to believe that the earth goes around the sun†. Sometimes, a naive or false justification may be added in appeals to ridicule, such as â€Å"we can plainly see the sun go around the earth every day†. Appeals to authority are of the form â€Å"The president of the United States said this, therefore it must be true†. The fact that a famous person, great person, or authority figure said something is not a valid basis for something being true. Truth is independent of who said it. Types of Evidence Evidence is something that provides proof concerning a matter in question. Direct or Experimental evidence. The scientific methods relies on direct evidence, i. e. , evidence that can be directly observed and tested. Scientific experiments are designed to be repeated by other scientists and to demonstrate unequivocably the point that they are trying to prove by controlling all the factors that could influence the results. A scientist conducts an experiment by varying a single factor and observing the results. When appropriate, â€Å"double blind† experiments are conducted to avoid the possibility of bias. If it is necessary to determine the effectiveness of a drug, an independent scientist will prepare the drug and an inert substance (a placebo), identifying them as A and B. A second scientist selects two groups of patients with similar characteristics (age, sex, etc. ), and not knowing which is the real drug, administers substance A to one group of patients and substance B to the second group of patients. By not knowing whether A or B is the real drug, the second scientist focuses on the results of the experiment and can make objective evaluations. At the end of the experiment, the second scientist should be able to tell whether the group receiving substance A showed improvements over those receiving substance B. If no effect can be shown, the drug being tested is ineffective. Neither the second scientist nor the patients can cheat by favoring one substance over another, because they do not know which is the real drug. Anecdotal, Correlational, or Circumstantial Evidence. Where there is smoke, there is fire† is a popular saying. When two things occur together frequently, it is possible to assume that there is a direct or causative relationship between them, but it is also possible that there are other factors. For example, if you get sick every time that you eat fish and drink milk, you could assume that you are allergic to fish. However, you may be allergic to milk, or only to the combination of fish with milk. Correlational evidence is good for developing hypotheses that can then be tested with the proper experiments, e. g. drink milk only, eat fish only, eat fish and milk together. There is nothing wrong with using representative cases to illustrate an inductive conclusion drawn from a fair sample. The problem arises when a single case or a few selected cases are used to draw a conclusion which would not be supported by a properly conducted study. Argumentative Evidence consists of evaluating facts that are known and formulating a hypothesis about what the facts imply. Argumentative evidence is notoriously unreliable because anybody can postulate a hypothesis about anything. This was illustrated above with the example about the â€Å"channels† of Mars implying intelligent life. The statement â€Å"I heard a noise in the attic, it must be a ghost† also falls in this category. Testimonial Evidence. A famous football player appears on television and says that Drug-XYZ provides relief from pain and works better than anything else. You know that the football player gets paid for making the commercial. How much can you trust this evidence? Not very much. Testimonials are often biased in favor of a particular point of view. In court proceedings, something actually experienced by a witness (eyewitness information) has greater weight than what someone told a witness (hearsay information). Nevertheless, experiments have repeatedly demonstrated that eyewitness accounts are highly unreliable when compared with films of the events. The statement â€Å"I saw a ghost last night. † is an example of testimonial evidence that probably cannot be verified and should not be trusted. On the other hand, the statement â€Å"I saw a car crash yesterday. can be objectively verified to determine whether it is true or false by checking for debris from the accident, hospital records, and other physical evidence. Make full use of your senses. Making use of your senses is the subjective part of the Methodology. This is the stage where your special sensory skills can be put to use. If you have extraordinary hearing, use it. If you have a photographic memory make sure that it gets used for most of your problem solving. N obody else has your specific impressions of your environment. Your point of view and your observations are unique. Part of using your senses may involve using instrumentation or interaction with others. Lucky charms, divining rods, and other magical devices that do not have reproducible and verifiable functionality do not count as â€Å"instrumentation†. If you don’t have perfect eyesight and you need to see something clearly, use your glasses. Make observations from several points of view to get good depth perception and to confirm impressions. Take photographs if you need to remember something in great detail. Use a tape recorder or a notepad to record your observations for later review. Make sure that your senses are at their best by avoiding intoxicants that affect your perceptions. â€Å"Interaction with others† may involve using another being (not necessarily human) to make the observations for you. For example, a blind person may use a seeing-eye dog to get around, a truck driver may use directions from someone else when backing up into a tight spot, a hunter may use a dog’s sense of smell for tracking game, or a miner may use a canary to warn him of pockets of unbreathable odorless gases. Whenever you trust someone else’s perception more than your own you may find that the conclusions that you reach are unsatisfactory. How many hunters have been led astray by dogs that followed a rabbit’s trail rather than the fox’s? And how many truck drivers have crashed while backing up because they misinterpreted their helper’s signals? Reliance on your own senses is the only way to avoid such problems, but you don’t always have this choice. The application of logic may be necessary to determine which perceptions you can trust. Let us say that you are not under the influence of any drugs and you see an apparition of a dead person, what should you do? How do you distinguish hallucinations from real perceptions? How do you know if your senses fool you or if your observations are real? One time-honored test is to pinch yourself to make sure that you are not dreaming. If you should tell someone else about your experience and they don’t observe the same things, does this mean that you are crazy or that something is wrong with you? Or does this prove that you have more refined perception that enables you to see things that others do not see? What would it be like to live in a world where only you have color vision and everyone else is colorblind? The difference between real perceptions and hallucinations is that you can repeat and reproduce results from real perceptions but not from hallucinations. In a world where you are the only person with color vision, you would eventually be able to prove to everyone else by objective means that colors, or at least different frequencies of light, do exist.

J.K. ROWLINGS HARRY POTTER SERIES FANTASY FOR CHILDREN AND NOTHING MORE essays

J.K. ROWLING'S HARRY POTTER SERIES FANTASY FOR CHILDREN AND NOTHING MORE essays Within the last eight years or so, the literary works of J.K. Rowling, in particular her highly popular series of dark fantasy novels centered on the character of Harry Potter, has generated a great amount of social controversy based on her use of sorcery and occultism in order to relate the fantastic adventures of Harry, an up-and-coming wizard and practitioner of the so-called "black arts." Not surprisingly, the most vocal opponents to Rowling's Harry Potter series can be found within the religious community which has viewed Rowling's works with much suspicion, due to what they see as a blatant attempt by Rowling to introduce impressionable young people to the arts and practice of magic, sorcery, witchcraft and occultism via the actions and predicaments of Harry Potter. However, this viewpoint, taken predominately by the Christian community, is based on the traditional ideals of organized religion which for centuries has attempted, without much success, to turn people away from any literary work that goes against the teachings and ideals of Christian thought and Fantastic literature, as represented in Rowling's Harry Potter series, is one of the most compelling of all literary genres, for as E.F. Bleiler points out, "the essence of the fantastic generally demands from the reader a certain degree of imagination and a capacity for detachment from everyday life" (12). For many readers, dark fantasy is the type of tale which is totally irrelevant to the real world, and, for the most part, deals with magic and the supernatural. Unlike science fiction, it is not based on scientific research but pure imagination and requires the reader to totally suspend his/her disbelief. In addition, most fantastic magic and the supernatural which tends to inform the reader that the events The plotlines in most fantast...

Vegetable Waste Disposal and Management Essay Example

Vegetable Waste Disposal and Management Essay Example Vegetable Waste Disposal and Management Paper Vegetable Waste Disposal and Management Paper The importance and the related benefits of properly managing organic waste are still underestimated in many Philippine municipalities. That is why the Philippines is still looming with garbage management predisposition the passage of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. These problems brought to light during rainy seasons when their effects are seen in the form of increased flash floods and the proliferation of diseases throughout affected areas. Len general, such harmful effects to the environment and to society can be decreased by proper waste management practices. Roper dealing with organic waste can reduce the potential for environmental pollution while also protecting the individual who is responsible for the discarded materials (Hawkins, 2010). Furthermore, applying proper waste management practices loud result in the reduction of costs incurred in waste collection. Publication Full Text Seth presence of the organic waste management problem in Cube City is denoted by the popular existence of public markets. Carbon Market, the citys oldest and biggest produce market, is one of the primary sources of such waste. Though the citys garbage is collected through trucks, only an estimated 350 out of 500,000 tons of waste generated daily is collected and disposed at the Anyway landfill(Archival, 2012). In order to partially address the citys existing problem, the dumping of garbage must be reduced such hat recycling must be done whenever possible. Len connection with this, we recognize the fact that the high nutrient content and biodegradable nature of vegetable waste makes it easier to recycle. Despite the global applicability of organic waste management problem, we deemed it best to scrutinize the situation from a local standpoint. Specifically, we focused our study on the management of spoiled vegetables in local public markets. We conducted this study determine the methods of managing vegetable waste in Cube Citys public markets that are effective in minimizing the dumping of garbage that loud otherwise be recycled. Applying efficient and effective vegetable waste management methods would produce a positive impact not only on the incomes Of Cube City public market vendors but also on the Subcutaneously as a whole and the community in which it lives. Statement of the Problem The researchers conduct this study to describe the methods for disposal and management of vegetable wastes in the public markets of Cube City. Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions: a. How much vegetable wastes are currently being disposed of in the public markets in Cube City? . What method for disposal and management of vegetate blew wastes are currently implemented by the authorities that are responsible for the public markets? C. How do public market vendors respond to these implemented disposal and management methods? What are their attitudes and behaviors towards these methods? D. What are effective alternative methods of disposing and managing vegetable wastes in the public markets of Cube City? Statement of Assumptions It is assumed that the disposal of spoiled vegetables in the proper and most advantageous man near presents problems to public market vegetable endorsed, and that these vegetable vendors have their own strategies in disposing of spoiled vegetables which differ from market to market. It is also assumed that the public market area is a factor that affects the method fattest management. In addition, an optimal method of spoiled vegetable waste management exists. Significance of the Study Waste management is crucial for the betterment of the society since without it, people might end up suffering from their own garbage. Studying how public markets in Cube City manage and dispose of the vegetable wastes would greatly benefit many parties in the community including the market getable vendors, public market consumers, Local Government Units, the community and students. At the conclusion of our research, we will also recommend some solutions that would be Of best advantage to these parties: Market Vegetable Vendors This study aims to help the public market vegetable vendors be more aware that the management and proper disposal of the vegetable wastes is important in keeping the market environment sanitary and to provide them with optimal solutions on their disposal problems. Public Market Consumers This study will educate the consumers about the sanitary problems that exist in the vegetable market area and to enlighten them of the risks that these problems might pose on the cleanliness of the vegetables they buy and consequently, on their health. Local Government Units Through this study, the responsible government units or authorities would also be notified on the problem of disposing of the vegetable wastes in the markets in Cube City and would also assist them in making actions to solve the problem. Community By reading this research, the community would know that the proper management and disposal of vegetable wastes helps in keeping it healthy and ell; this may also inspire the society to cooperate in the application of the optimal solution to the sanitary problems of the vegetable market. Students This study would enlighten us, students, of the growing need to be more responsible in the management and disposal not only of the vegetable wastes but wastes in general. By reading this research, students will be more aware that there are actual problems that require attention beyond the four walls of their classrooms.

Netflix Case study - SmartCustomWriting.com Samples

Netflix Case study - SmartCustomWriting.com Netflix Case studyIntroduction According to Reed Hastings, Netflix have been facing a lot of competition in the video renting market and thus the need to come up with most effective strategies that may help it in improving its productivity. Netflix is a new adventure brought into the market through the internet commerce and the advent of DVD that aided in securing movie rentals. He says that the new strategies that they have employed such as the recommendation system and also focusing on enhancing their clients’ experience concerning their website. It is clear that through such strategic focus Netflix has been able to grow into one of the largest online entertainment subscriptions service in the United States with a total of more than 6.3 million subscribers. Netflix has been in one of the most competitive fields as a business venture. It has been competing with companies such as the Blockbuster. It is therefore vital for Netflix to employ a strategy that will ensure that it gets secondary markets. It is important to develop and implement a flexible and disciplined business strategy that will aim at driving revenue growth, minimizing operation costs and profitability, and maximizing store level productivity. The profitability of the market is the determining factor of the attractiveness of this movie industry. Even though the industry has high burrier to profitability, it also contains various factors that validate its attractiveness. As a result of increased buyer demand, online movie renting is presently one of the fastest growing markets globally. An attractive feature in the market of movie renting is the possibility of having newcomers who develop strong competition, revenue, brand recognition, and strong lead of customers. The main vision of Netflix is to change the manner in which people access and view the movie of their zeal and love. For that reason implementation of present strategies will enable Netflix to reach their objective and guarantee the accomplishment of their vision (Willy, Stephen, David, 2009). Business strategy of Netflix After Netflix realized that the traditional merchandizing system was ineffective, its engineers came up with a proprietary recommendation system in order to balance the needs of their customers. Netflix also signed a new signing account which made customers to be capable of identifying new favorite movie genre, including rating specific movie titles from one to five. Netflix’s proprietary algorithm was a strategy that solely depended on the results of these surveys. The surveys help both the company and its clients in placing their orders or choosing the movies they prefer. This recommendation page also included information on why the movie was being recommended apart from just the title and rankings. This kind of strategy ensured that customer’s gotten what they preferred most. Moreover, Netflix’s software refined its understanding of the clients’ preference (Willy, Stephen, David, 2009). The company also did the screening of movies through its inventory management with the aim of avoiding frustrating its customers. The system increased utilization Netflix’s library of films in order to be in short supply. It was an important strategy since it satisfied the needs of the customers since it picked the needs of the customer. SWOT Analysis of Netflix Netflix has a number of strengths which include: a) a strong e-commerce expertise, b) knowledge about technology, c) defect free merchandise to the clients, and d) expertise that are capable of providing consistent customer services. It also has experienced and capable workforce, valuable physical assets, and proven managerial know-how (Willy, Stephen, David, 2009). Netflix also has a number of core deficiencies in comparison to other companies that puts it at a disadvantage in the marketplace which include: a) inventory control is one of the most difficult things in Netflix since DVDs are sent to the clients through the mail, and this means that the DVDs may arrive late or may be broken or even lost in the delivery process, b) it is also hard to determine the number of DVDs that reach customers since they have the right of keeping them as long as they wish, c) Netflix also does not distribute videotapes, but just DVDs, this can make the company loose customers, and finally, d) even though it is not expensive but convenient, it is less economical to those client who watch less than one movie every week (Willy Smith, 6). Netflix also has some opportunities such as: a) Netflix will provide a service that will allow its customers to download movies online, b) it will also give lower variable costs which will be profitable in the long run, c) its feature (SamGoody.com) will be a service that will enable its clients to access discs if need be, and finally, d) it has a rapid growth potential that will enable it to gain popularity and development (Willy, Stephen, David, 2009). Netflix has threats that do not allow them to be more competitive in the online video market; it also has some features that do not satisfy the needs of the clients. It is also faced with competition from other companies offering online rental services. Conclusion In order for the company to gain a large base, it must begin to implement its long term goals and advertise to specific consumer needs which have been assured by the recommendation system. Since technology is ever changing, Netflix will have to devise it marketing strategies to march those that other companies use in online market. It is also vital to look at globalization which is another long term goal since it has various guiding principles to worry about when venturing into the global market. Finally the whole team at Netflix needs to target on the research development in order to improve on their strategies (Willy, Stephen, David, 2009). Work Cited Willy Smith, Stephen Kaufman, and David Spinola. â€Å"Netflix Case from the Business Harvard School, Case # 9-607-138, (2009), pp 2-15.

Critical review of haemolytic disease of the newborn Essay

Critical review of haemolytic disease of the newborn - Essay Example The mother's immune system sees the baby's Rh positive red blood cells as "foreign." Just as when bacteria invade the body, the immune system responds by developing antibodies to fight and destroy these foreign cells. The mother's immune system then keeps the antibodies in case the foreign cells appear again, even in a future pregnancy. The mother is now "Rh sensitized." In a first pregnancy, Rh sensitization is not likely. Usually it only becomes a problem in a future pregnancy with another Rh positive baby. During that pregnancy, the mother's antibodies cross the placenta to fight the Rh positive cells in the baby's body. As the antibodies destroy the red blood cells, the baby can become sick. This is called erythroblastosis fetalis during pregnancy. In the newborn, the condition is called hemolytic disease of the newborn. (Vucinovic M, Jadric H, Karelovic D, Roje D, Haspl-Hundric Z, Hrgovic Z, Vucinovic Z, 2004). Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) occurs due to maternal IgG antibodies crossing the placenta thereby producing hemolysis mainly due to Rh, ABO and Kell groups. A systematic approach to the Rh HDN involves an obstetric history of previous isoimmunized baby, timing and regular monitoring of maternal Rh antibodies and pigment assay of amniotic fluid. Timely decision regarding in utero transfusion and early termination of pregnancy based on the maternal monitoring has radically improved the outcome of these babies. Antenatal prophylaxis with anti D has resulted in great reduction in the magnitude of Rh problem. The fetal blood sampling and in-utero intravenous transfusions has made it possible for almost 100% survival of isoimmunized pregnancies without hydrops. Alternative methods--IVIG and plasma exchange are still of limited application. ABO HDN though common is not a serious form of disease and dose not warrants invasive antenatal monitoring. Anti-Kell is found in patients hav ing received multiple transfusions and the rapid progress of hemolysis in them may not allow such systematic follow up as in Rh HDN. (Narang A, Jain N, 2001). Antibodies are produced by B lymphocytes. Maturation culminates with migration of the B cells to the reticulo-endothelial tissues of the body including the lymph nodes and parts of the spleen, bone marrow, liver, gastrointestinal tract and other tissues. Antibodies are a miscellaneous mixture of serum globulins and share the ability to bind individually to specific antigens. Those serum globulins with antibody activity are known as immunoglobulins (Ig). All immunoglobulin molecules have common structural features. The part of the molecule that binds to the corresponding antigen is different in each immunoglobulin. The basic

Management Styles within Large and Small Firms and How These Styles Essay

Management Styles within Large and Small Firms and How These Styles May Impact On the Employment Relationship - Essay Example This adoption of managerial styles has yielded long term workforce commitment and led to sustainable levels of overall organisational success (Turnbull and Blyton, 2004, p22). This statement clearly implies that management styles have a profound and measurable impact on the long run success of firms, although there have been claims that the managerial styles in large firms differ from those adopted in small firms (Longnecker et al., 2000, p75), due to a number of possible reasons. As a result, the employment relationship also differs within large and small firms operating within the same industry. According to the European Commission (2005, p14), a small enterprise is described as a business, which employs less than 50 individuals. The annual balance sheet or the annual turnover for this business does not go beyond the 10 million euro mark (European Commission 2005, p14). On the other hand, a large enterprise is a business, which has more than 250 employees, and has exceeded the limi ts of a medium-sized enterprise (QFinance 2012, p1). Therefore, this study is attempts to critically appraise the management styles within companies of various sizes, in order to ascertain and illustrate the impact that variations in management styles may have upon the employment relationship. Management styles can be defined as the characteristic ways in which decisions are made related to the subordinates. They are the efforts, direction, and strategies used by the manager to develop an efficient workplace, and accomplish organizational goals. There are five management styles and they include autocratic, consultative, persuasive, democratic, and laissez faire management styles (Chartered Technofunctional Institute 2012, p1). This study is informed by reference to relevant examples and case studies drawn from academic literature, seeking to ensure a balanced examination of the issues relating to managerial styles and their relationship to the employment relationship. In order to do so, this study provides a comparison of the managemen t styles within firms with reference to theoretical concepts in order to examine the difference, if any, present in the styles used by small and large companies. This essay also describes how the concepts of ‘Unitarism’ and ‘Pluralism’ influence employment relationships, and moves on to a discussion played by trade unions and whether their presence or absence might affect the way in which employers and employees deal with one another. These discussions will be used to inform an examination of the main area of inquiry, providing an informed appraisal of the way in which management styles might affect the employment relationship in firms of varying size. Management Concepts Underlying the Management Styles within Large and Small Firms An abundance of academic literature has been published in the field of management, with one of the earliest theories on management style being that of Frederick Taylor (Casell et al. 2002, p673). This management style (Taylorism ) advocates the standardization of strict standards for performance, and was therefore widely adopted by large industrialized firms (Marlow and Patton, 2002, p22). Taylorism was based on quantity and time as important standards for the measurement of output (division of labour), meaning that the adequacy of any worker was judged by the capability to meet a particular production quota (Berk and Berk 2000, p91). Casell (et al. 2002, p674) states that critics of this management style argue that it degrades the workforce, treating them as mere factors of production: the emphasis on judging people according to rate of output also meant that the quality of an item did not matter, only

Differences in Worlds Economic Models. Structural Trade Adjustment Assignment

Differences in Worlds Economic Models. Structural Trade Adjustment. Fair Trade policy - Assignment Example Promoting the concept of globalization and opening gates for multinationals, the BWIs designed such exchanging trade policies in which there is an exchange of business and generation of the profits. High privatization, reduction of Government interference, reduction of public spending, wage suppression, low tariffs, and high international trade exchange are features of SALPs Structural adjustment loan programs (WHO). SALs are adjustments for poorer states while these are sources of profit for richer countries. SALs are instruments to provide loans to under developing nations in terms of availing their geographical resources. This is to favor MCNs Multinational Corporations, which take such resources for incremental profit maximization activity. International businessmen, money makers, stake holders and policy executors all benefit from SALs but keep detrimental effect for international loan borrowers mostly the underdeveloped nations (WHO). The case of Serbia was a major highlight, w hen Structural Adjustment Loans introduced brought detrimental effects for the people of Serbia. According to IFIs International Financial Institutions â€Å"SINCE THE BANK AND OTHER IFIs SHOW NO SIGN OF CLOSING THEIR DOORS, GENDER ACTION BELIEVES THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THEIR LOANS ASSIST AND NOT HARM THE POOR AMONG WHOME THE MAJORITY ARE FEMALES† (Vladisavljevic and Zuckerman, pp. 3). Opposite to the statement came out in Serbia, where poor groups became jobless and with health expenditure cutbacks working women were brought to unpaid care services (Vladisavljevic and Zuckerman). NAFTA In the last decades, NAFTA was one of the finest examples of liberal trade â€Å"free trade†. It came out as a source of development and growth for all member countries which took part in such liberal trade agreement. In the start, NAFTA established the pool of 436 million people which later on produced $12 trillion worth of goods on the annual basis (McKinney). The pe riod of the decade 1993-2003 was tremendous projecting the real economies of scale in the NAFTA member countries. Though the starting impact was positive but later NAFTA brought worst effects on member countries and other parts of the world. According to Economic policy institute, NAFTA created unemployment, reduced wages, and obscured labor rights in Mexico (White). This inevitably brought gang wars, drug apprehension and poverty in the Mexico district (White). Apart from the member States, rest of the world also got affected. India was found with numerous child labor cases, China with starvation wages, and Korea with slave-labor, which was all because of the weak NAFTA policy that neglected labor rights and their implementation (White). Fair Trade When there are high business interests, exerted market pressures, and continuous exploitation of resources then reformists advice Fair Trade to stabilize such dissolving business order. Fair Trade is used to bring solidarity, a reform wh ich remove the multinational culture and bring highest apprehension of environmental codes and obligations. When Fair Trade policies are implemented then Governments take part in the business. Their concern is to serve public and to establish the norms of social well being, which are all astray in any international conventional business order (Raynolds, Murray and Wilkinson, pp. 1-20). In a Fair Trade policy, the aims are not to meet market competition or to produce cheaper but instead quality goods and in bulk volumes. With the execution of the Fair Trade programme, the business becomes transparent and opened for the public. Social well being and valuation of environment all becomes

The Purposes of Budgeting System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Purposes of Budgeting System - Essay Example nagement accountants of an organization use these statements along with the financial statements like cash flow, fund flow statements and prepare budget for the next financial period. This paper is an attempt to identify the purposes of budgeting system and the value of it. The purpose of budgeting system is to plan properly about how the operations of the organization will go on, plan properly about the borrowings, resources allocation and savings of the company (Khan and Jain, 2007, p.8.2). By doing a proper allocation the management accountants can make it sure that the resources are utilized efficiently. By analyzing the financial statements prepared by the financial accountants the management accountants of an organization make a proper plan for better performance in the next financial period. For ensuring a better performance by the organization in the next financial period the management accountants make a suitable plan so that the resources are engaged in the proper area of the organization. Proper use of the resources in proper area assures best performance of those resources which in turn would help the organization to perform better. While analyzing the cost sheet, the management may found that there are many idle resources in the manufacturing activity. May be there is some time gap between the two activities during the operation. The management has to take steps so that there would be no idle time in the operation in the next financial period. This would assure operating efficiency and the operating cost would be down and the resources would be used optimally. As a result the net profit of the company will increase. By analyzing the cost sheet the management would come to know about the performance of the cost centres. The cost centre means where the cost is splitting and the measure is done centre wise. Though it is a tough job to make the division of cost allocation, but for managing the cost it is apportioned over the centres (Lucey and Lucey,

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then Essay

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then - Essay Example Along with the poverty has come all of the problems associated with the disadvantage of being relegated near the bottom of the world's socio-economic class. Rampant crime, health problems, high infant mortality, and limited life span all further burden a society already faced with the struggle of trying to provide the basics of life. The political system has been wracked by upheaval and instability for two centuries as dictators and the military have vied for power with no thought of elevating the standard of living for the people. The failure of leadership in Haiti, and racist policies in Washington DC, have allowed two hundred years of exploitation and kept Haiti locked in a cycle of poverty. By almost every measure, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. The situation is getting even worse as the last 50 years have seen a stagnation in the Haitian economy and a real decline in the gross national product (Sletten and Egset 5). The gap between the wealthy and the poor is extreme in Haiti and average incomes or median incomes do not tell the whole story. The top 10 percent consume almost 50 percent of the country's resources (CIA). No meaningful official unemployment data exists, but two-thirds of the population have no formal jobs and 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line (CIA). Almost 60 percent of the people are classed as extremely poor and live on less than $1 per day (Sletten and Egset 9). This is almost double the rate of El Salvador and four times the rate of Guatemala and Bolivia. According to Sletten and Egset, "Haiti is not only the poorest country in Latin America, but also the most unequal in a region that is already the most unequal in the world" (9). These are the statistics that form the backdrop of Haiti's poverty. While the statistics on Haiti's poverty are bleak, the location of the poverty imparts an even more disparate picture. Most Haitians live in rural areas and almost 4 out of 5 extremely poor people live in a rural area (Sletten and Egset 10). When poverty is measured in terms of access to public services, this segment of the population suffers further. Access to services such as electricity, education, roads, clean water, and health care is dependent on where a person lives in Haiti (Sletten and Egset 15). In addition, the policy of privatization has placed almost all public services in the hands of the ruling class. According to Gros, "Nearly two-hundred years of informal privatization of the state have left Haiti lacking the capacity to deliver even the most basic of public services; security and justice" (223). The better neighborhoods are better served by these services and the denial in the rural areas of access to basic services further impoverishes this portion of the populatio n. The extremely poor in the rural areas are left with a subsistence wage and no access to the public services, such as education, that might hold some hope for breaking out of the cycle of poverty. The reasons that Haiti continues to be locked in poverty in today's world of globalization can be better understood by examining their history. Haiti claimed independence in 1804 when there was a slave rebellion. This freed the slaves and gave them independence from France. However, through the lens of the US and European powers, "independent Haiti would be viewed continually as a threat to hemispheric and

TQM (total quality management) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

TQM (total quality management) - Essay Example These concerns, alongside various others, gave rise to the breed of management called Total Quality Management.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management system that aims to achieve the ultimate customer experience, whether meeting the expectation of the customers or going beyond what they anticipated (Dale, 1999). Dale (1999) expresses that in order achieve the goal of TQM, strong cooperation and involvement from the entirety of the company is needed. Thus, TQM requires active participation and synergy of all employees and focusing that synergy towards meeting the customers expectations and improving overall business processes. To attain improvement in the company, various researchers said that the key to improvement is constant upgrading and development (Goetsch & Davis, 1994). Management should not stop upgrading because all processes can still be improve and be better. Once they stop improving, they could be left behind by their competitors. Based on this discussion, TQM seems to be a management concept only. However, TQM also has a quantitative and more defin ed facet (Priporas and Psychogios, 2007). Priporas and Psychogios (2007) identified some of the quantitative aspect or measure of TQM, which includes Statistical Process Control, ISO 9000 standards, Pareto Analysis, Histograms, among others. On the other hand, the qualitative ideas that constitute TQM are overall workers’ participation; uninterrupted upgrading; incessant coaching; cooperative relation among employees; self-motivated employees; full dedication and support from high-tiered officers; independent and autonomous administration approach; consumer happiness; and business surrounding alterations (Priporas and Psychogios, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main purpose of TQM is already well-known to everyone—customer satisfaction. However, to achieve this employee satisfaction should be fulfilled. Once the employee is satisfied and happy, it will be his innate response and goal to

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then Essay

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then - Essay Example Along with the poverty has come all of the problems associated with the disadvantage of being relegated near the bottom of the world's socio-economic class. Rampant crime, health problems, high infant mortality, and limited life span all further burden a society already faced with the struggle of trying to provide the basics of life. The political system has been wracked by upheaval and instability for two centuries as dictators and the military have vied for power with no thought of elevating the standard of living for the people. The failure of leadership in Haiti, and racist policies in Washington DC, have allowed two hundred years of exploitation and kept Haiti locked in a cycle of poverty. By almost every measure, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. The situation is getting even worse as the last 50 years have seen a stagnation in the Haitian economy and a real decline in the gross national product (Sletten and Egset 5). The gap between the wealthy and the poor is extreme in Haiti and average incomes or median incomes do not tell the whole story. The top 10 percent consume almost 50 percent of the country's resources (CIA). No meaningful official unemployment data exists, but two-thirds of the population have no formal jobs and 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line (CIA). Almost 60 percent of the people are classed as extremely poor and live on less than $1 per day (Sletten and Egset 9). This is almost double the rate of El Salvador and four times the rate of Guatemala and Bolivia. According to Sletten and Egset, "Haiti is not only the poorest country in Latin America, but also the most unequal in a region that is already the most unequal in the world" (9). These are the statistics that form the backdrop of Haiti's poverty. While the statistics on Haiti's poverty are bleak, the location of the poverty imparts an even more disparate picture. Most Haitians live in rural areas and almost 4 out of 5 extremely poor people live in a rural area (Sletten and Egset 10). When poverty is measured in terms of access to public services, this segment of the population suffers further. Access to services such as electricity, education, roads, clean water, and health care is dependent on where a person lives in Haiti (Sletten and Egset 15). In addition, the policy of privatization has placed almost all public services in the hands of the ruling class. According to Gros, "Nearly two-hundred years of informal privatization of the state have left Haiti lacking the capacity to deliver even the most basic of public services; security and justice" (223). The better neighborhoods are better served by these services and the denial in the rural areas of access to basic services further impoverishes this portion of the populatio n. The extremely poor in the rural areas are left with a subsistence wage and no access to the public services, such as education, that might hold some hope for breaking out of the cycle of poverty. The reasons that Haiti continues to be locked in poverty in today's world of globalization can be better understood by examining their history. Haiti claimed independence in 1804 when there was a slave rebellion. This freed the slaves and gave them independence from France. However, through the lens of the US and European powers, "independent Haiti would be viewed continually as a threat to hemispheric and

The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien Essay Tim OBrien, author and veteran, covers several multiple in his novel The Things They Carried. The book bases itself on the psychological strain caused by the stress and conflicting interests in the war. OBrien wants us to see what hes afraid to look back at. Story truth is his way of facing the confronting the past and admitting his responsibility in it. OBrien tells his stories from a constant gush of memories. Emotions and morals are among the more evident themes covered in the novel. Pain, embarrassment, love, hate, loneliness, frustration, isolation, bravery, and struggles with morality. All of these, and combinations of these are religiously covered in the book. Though people not involved in a war could never even begin to understand, not even an ounce of what happened; OBrien uses these themes and emotions to help describe the crude and passionate feelings that the veterans felt throughout the war. Pain is one of the better know feelings about Vietnam. It still affects many Vietnam War veterans in many forms. Even though the war ended over 25 years ago, OBrien shows that the trauma associated with the war has had mental and physical effects on the soldiers since the war has passed. Because of this pain, it only makes sense that OBrien illustrates and reflects on the pains he and others felt during the war. Pain is caused by so many of the emotions used in this book, that it becomes difficult not to realize its significance in the book. The guilt caused by killing a man, even though he would have killed you. The mental torment felt when watching your comrade being scraped off of a tree. They were just goofing. There was a noise, I suppose, which mustve been the detonator, so I glanced behind me and watched Lemon step from the shade into bright sunlight. His face was suddenly brown and shining. A handsome kid, really. Sharp gray eyes, lean and narrow-waisted, and when he died it was almost beautiful, the way the sunlight came around him and lifted him up and sucked him high into a tree full of moss and vines and white blossoms. (OBrien p.70). These are the types of pains that can only be understood by having felt them yourself, the type of pain that lives deep within you forever, whether you want to remember it or not. Embarrassment was probably one of the more hidden feelings in the war. In the  chapter titled On the Rainy River, OBrien tells of something so deeply embarrassing, that he was too ashamed to tell even his closest friends, and family. He, being an anti-war individual at the time, would rationally have been opposed to fighting for a cause he didnt believe in. He ran. Running was a popular choice for those who were opposed to, or just scared of, war. At some point in mid-July I began thinking seriously about Canada. The border lay a few hundred miles north, and eight-hour drive. Both my conscience and my instincts were telling me to make a break for it, just take off and run like hell and never stop.(OBrien p.44). In the book he fled to the border, but stopped to rest before he crossed. His rest was the duration of six days. He was in a continuous battle with his conscience. He thought of his parents, the shame they would be faced with because of their sons weakness. He could hear his townspeople and peers mocking him. He couldnt risk the embarrassment. He submitted. I would go to war-I would kill any maybe did-because I was too embarrassed not too.(OBrien p.59.). The emotion considered by many to be the strongest of all emotions, was the focus, and title of the second chapter. Love tells of a young lieutenant, and the object of his affection, a girl from his hometown, Martha. Among the things in which Lieutenant Cross humped were two photographs, a good luck pebble, and letters from Martha. Lieutenant Cross kept to himself. He pictured Marthas smooth young face, thinking he loved her more than anything, more than his men, and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her.(OBrien p.7). When emotions like love make you think more of home, and less of the war, mistakes are inevitable; they simply affect your ability to work. Lieutenant Cross found this out the hard way. He burned Marthas pictures and letters. He would have to carry the burden of his mistakes, regret. A struggle with ones morality could be expected for any man. It all came down to one question. Am I willing to kill another man? Should I kill and live with the heavy guilt and burden on my conscience, or perish knowing the consequences youd be faced with would be worse. OBrien made a choice, he chose to live, and kill, and kill he did. In the chapter The Man I Killed OBrien reminisces over this experience. His jaw was in his throat, his  upper lip and teeth were gone, his one eye was shut, his other eye was a star-shaped hole, his eyebrows were thin and arched like a womans, his nose was undamaged, there was a slight tear at the lobe of one ear, his clean black hair was swept upward into a cowlick at the rear of the skull, his forehead was lightly freckled, his fingernails were clean, the skin at his left cheek was peeled back in three ragged strips, his right cheek was smooth and hairless, there was a butterfly on his chin, his neck was open to the spinal cord and the blood there was thick and shiny and it was this wound that had killed him.(OBrien p.124). Following his experience, he imagined what the mans life had been like before this. His memories created an existence for whom he killed. Memories are what kept them alive. He is astounded by what he has done, by what he had been forced to do. This novel, summarized, is about a young soldier who is overwhelmed by emotions and feelings about a war he wants nothing to do with. It conveys nearly every emotion that one can experience. It is because of these themes that people can even begin to understand what those living the war felt. As with most other veterans, OBrien experienced a loss so great, a burden so heavy, it is almost impossible to carry, but carry they did. They carried the burden of murders, the embarrassment of running, the bodies of their friends, and the memories that would haunt them for a lifetime. For these veterans the war will never end. Bonn, Maria S., Can Stories Save Us? Tim OBrien and the Efficacy of the Text, in Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, Vol. 36, No. 1, Fall, 1994, pp. 2-14. Harris, Robert R., Too Embarrassed Not to Kill: A review of The Things They Carried, in New York Times Book Review, March 11, 1990, p. 8.

Internal and External Analysis of M-TRONICS

Internal and External Analysis of M-TRONICS M-TRONICS was founded during the consolidation of small local machine shops in the early 1900s. From early 1900s to 1999, M-TRONICS has struggled and faced with many operating and personnel problems within its organization. One of the positive aspects of this company is EBIT Margin. According to the EBIT Ratio, M-TRONICS has done very well in the last decade (90-99). At present it has a bright future. M-TRONICS has to consider every alternative they have in order to make sure that their organization is able to continue with its growth strategy. The alternative that is mentioned below for M-TRONICS will allow them to solve the issues that are being restricted in the organizations growth strategy. After analyzing the main issues and the internal and external factors, the best alternative for M-TRONICS is to realign the organization so they can think closely about on one strategy and one focus. This case analysis will recognize the issues that are being faced by M-TRONICS, an analysis o f the external and internal factors, and to provide the most feasible solution for the organization. Key Issues M-TRONICS must evaluate the different options they have that would allow their company to grow within their competitive industries. The key issues and questions that needs to be addressed in this case analysis are: 1. Should the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries be a key part of M-TRONICS growth strategy? The Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries at M-TRONICS is causing a money drain as large amount of the companys budget is going towards the subsidiaries instead of their two major divisions (Electronics and Machinery Division). 2. Should changes be made within the organizational structure and strategy? The structure and strategy at M-TRONICS are different in each division. As each division has operated in different manner, it has resulted in conflict of culture, structure, and strategy of the overall organization. M-TRONICS has been faced with an increase in turnover over the past few years. The increase is due to employees being unsatisfied with how the organization is operating. External Analysis (page 7 ) There are two industries in consideration have vastly different characteristics. The industrial machinery industry is characterized by its inactive nature. Success in this industry relies more on quality and a strong sales force rather than on innovation. As it is a slow growth industry, being a market leader is not necessarily dependant on having a first-mover advantage. The market is in a mature phase; therefore, factors like cost, quality, and reputation are important for survival. The electronics industry is contrary to the machinery industry. The electronics industry is constantly growing and evolving. It is characterized by innovation and development, and longevity is dependant on an evolving product line. Research and technology are the cornerstones of the industry and being a pioneer is essential to success. Other industries are involved depending on which industry a subsidiary is created in. These industries generally have synergy with the two above and are also reliant on development. Internal Analysis M-TRONICS structure has made its culture highly reflective of its history. By keeping the electronics and manufacturing divisions separate, each was able to retain the characteristics and management of Datronics and McKenna Machine Company respectively. Before acquiring Datronics to form M-TRONICS, McKenna Machine Company was a leader in industrial machinery. Datronics was a highly innovative fledgling engineering company focused on high-tech developments. The two together formed a comprehensive manufacturing company with an emphasis on stability in the manufacturing division and development in the electronics division. Sales following the acquisition increased from $600 million to over $2 billion and gross profits grew from $12 million to $104.3 million. Henry McKenna, who had little involvement with the actual operations of the company, but was acting more as a figurehead until his retirement, oversaw the two divisions. The manufacturing division is essentially the McKenna Machine Company component of the company, who is led under the same leadership of George McElroy. McElroy was an essential part of the companys success and was extremely involved with the company. McElroys division is driven by performance and stability, reflecting the stagnancy of the industry and the division. Compensation reflected this, as its basis was only 10% based on return on investments and a lower use of incentives. Datronics founder John Martell led the electronics division, effectively what the Datronics component comprised. Martells style was entrepreneurial, and he believed in fostering innovation and a creative atmosphere. The division was constantly growing and searching for new enterprises to engage in. This dynamic style of leadership is what led to Martells appointment as McKennas successor as president and CEO of M-TRONICS. Martells appointment as president brought several wide sweeping changes as he infused his entrepreneurial spirit and open culture throughout the organization. This was to help develop into new high growth markets, while retaining their current customer base. One of Martells biggest implementations was the Entrepreneurial Subsidiary approach. The Entrepreneurial Subsidiary program was to hedge risks while capitalizing on new investments and retaining talent within the company. The program gave M-TRONICS 80% ownership of the new subsidiary formed by M-TRONICS employees and otherwise staffed by new talent. Depending on the success of the subsidiary, it would eventually amalgamate into the company. The program was designed to entice employees to develop breakthrough concepts without losing out on the benefits of the innovation or the loss of talented employees. Employees were able to expand their ideas in independent ventures with the security and support of M-TRONICS backing them while also making potential substantial gains. Martells changes to the company were very effective in promoting growth and development. However, these changes began to have trouble integrating into the company and dissatisfaction with employees began to rise. Martells appointment of Grennan as the new leader of the Electronics division was creating some dissension as his alliances from his subsidiary were causing some dissension. Another issue was that the focus on electronic development had left the manufacturing division behind their competitors and as a result their top-rated sales force was beginning to leave. Costs were rising considerably in the electronics division with some products obsolescing before they reached their break-even mark. The successes of the subsidiaries were now showing weaknesses as loyalties were forming cliques within the company and as returning employees felt dissatisfied in their roles back in the company. Meanwhile, the manufacturing division required an investment of $200 million to $250 million t o update their facilities and product line to keep up with the industry. Alternatives Realignment The alternative that we ranked number one is that of realignment. We chose this alternative because we feel that it would bring the company back to one strategy and one focus. This would enable the company to reduce the money drain of the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries, reduce the talent loss, and allow for investment in both the machinery and electronics divisions. In order to realign the company, the first step would be to eliminate any future subsidiaries and bring any existing subsidiaries that are profitable into the company under the electronics division. This would stop the losses and loans to those companies, as well as bring back the talent that left to manage those companies. This would leave M-TRONICS two divisions, which could then be managed with one strategy. Under a single strategy both units would have the same, or very similar, compensation packages and rewards. This would create an environment for all to flourish while retaining and attracting talent, while also increasing morale. It would also create an innovative company, which could return to the high profits while being a leader in the industry. It would also ensure that both divisions would be managed under the same management style, which is not the case at the moment. Eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries The second alternative that M-TRONICS can consider is to eliminate the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries. M-TRONICS is better off eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries because it has been a money drain on the company. By eliminating the subsidiaries, it would be beneficial to M-TRONICS, as it would enable them to invest more money towards the Electronics and Machinery Divisions. With the savings in cost, it would allow M-TRONICS to directly invest more money into the RD departments of the Electronics and Machinery Divisions. It would enable the divisions to enhance and improve existing products as well as developing new products. Also by eliminating the Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries, it would reduce the tension within the organization between the employees from the different departments within the divisions. In doing so, it would eliminate the conflicts in the divisions and improve the productivity of the organization. Flatten Organization The last alternative that M-TRONICS could adopt is to flatten the organizational structure of the company. Warring factions were developed in many of the organization departments, particularly in the RD department and between research and other departments (for example, marketing and manufacturing). The conflicts led to poor decisions, lack of cooperation, and wasted energy, which could have limited the future growth of M-TRONICS. It is necessary to make changes to the organizational structure. The result of the changes could benefit the organization just by using resource more efficiently. They could join the two divisions research and development department together, which could help Machinery Division improve their product quality by using Electronics Divisions resources. They can also join other similar function departments, such as marketing departments. Machinery Division have too many salespeople, they could use joint sales force to sale both divisions products. This could res ult in a reduced total sales force. For Electronics Division, they could also join their sub research departments and division research departments together in order to save research costs and increase development speed. Implementation It is time for M-TRONICS to rethink their strategy and approach. This will require a realignment of the existing strategy with an increased focus on current profitable subsidiaries and talent retention rather than future subsidiaries. Initially all ideas for future subsidiaries and interests will be put aside and a thorough re-assessment of existing profitable subsidiaries will be conducted. In order to determine if the current approach, they are using needs to be modified or changed in any way. By using a single strategy to manage both departments, a new compensation and rewards package will be introduced to both departments. This new reward system will be implemented immediately with increased focus on boosting worker morale, giving workers more empowerment then before, and an improved rewards system. A similar management style will be introduced to both departments as well, which will make organizational practices in both departments more consistent with each other. With increased rewards, career growth opportunities and higher levels of recognition by upper management, these wild ducks will not only get the opportunities to challenge themselves in a competitive work environment, but also grow as talented individuals. This new rewards system will insure that current talent is retained and new talent is attracted. If strategies for profitable subsidiaries are modified then there will be a 6-month test period for their new strategies. Afterwards, performance will be evaluated against pre-set benchmarks regarding revenues and operating margins along with potential growth opportunities. At the moment, there will be a shift of focus from future subsidiaries, as they will not be considered for some time in order to reduce current financial strains. Focus will be reduced mainly to existing profitable subsidiaries, which will come under the electronics division, and the machinery division. The main area of focus in the machinery division will be employee motivation and product quality. The main aim will be to reduce turnover and bring back the motivation that the employees had, especially in the sales force. However, one of the reasons why the sales force was losing its motivation was due to inferior quality products that were being produced. This new strategy will cause a shift of focus in the organization and reduce financial strain. It will allow M-TRONICS to invest more in the machinery department in order to bring back the quality that M-TRONICS have been known for. With improved product quality, more standardized management practices throughout the organization, improved rewards and bonus systems, increased worker empowerment and morale, and a new approach, M-TRONICS will be on its way to once again becoming the market leader it was before.